Flight Safety Information
February 1, 2016 - No. 022
In This Issue
PROS 2016 TRAINING
Chicago-Bound Jet Touches Down in London on Three-Fifths of its Landing Gear
Chinese airlines sign joint statement against passengers behaving badly
Flight MH370 Update: Search Vessels May Have Missed Malaysia Airlines Plane,
ATSB Chief Says
In-flight fist fight: Airplane grounded following mid-air cabin crew brawl
Interest soaring in airplane crack-detection company
TransAsia Airways slammed for poor flight safety management
United Is Adding a Training Safety Day for All 12,000 Pilots
Boeing 737 MAX jet successfully completes first flight
RAF pilot lands jet despite sudden loss of eyesight
US Navy's Unmanned Jet Could Be a Tanker
RTAF wants women pilots
Air safety clean chit a far cry for Nepal: ICAO
Yeti Airlines, Tara Air achieve int'l safety standard (Nepal)
Dangerous Aircraft Landing: Plane Nearly Hits Beachgoers At Princess Juliana
Airport [VIDEO]
Brazil considers lifting foreign stake limit for airlines
Embry-Riddle Worldwide's Free Webinar Series to Feature Aviation Safety,
Business Topics
Why lasers are better for satellite communication in space
Aviation on Mars? Airbus Perlan 2 Glider To Help Test Its Limits
ISASI Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Applications Due in April
PhD Research Request
GRADUATE THESIS SURVEY
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Chicago-Bound Jet Touches Down in London on Three-Fifths of its Landing Gear
Orange marked area is the wheels
that did NOT deploy on arrival.
Pilot turns back after 2 hours over the Atlantic Ocean and safely lands at Heathrow Airport
on only three sets of wheels.
A Chicago-bound British Airways jet over the Atlantic Ocean was forced to turn back to
London's Heathrow Airport two hours into its journey Saturday after the pilot noticed
something amiss with the landing gear.
The pilot of British Airways flight 295 made a safe landing at Heathrow on three sets of
wheels instead of five sets, according to a Daily Mail report. The Boeing 747-400 was met
by a squad of firefighters and passengers cheered as the plane came to a safe stop on the
ground.
The news media in London was hailing the British Airways pilot as a hero, and passengers
heaped much praise on the pilot via social media.
Reports the Aviation Herald website:
On approach to Heathrow the crew dumped fuel, lowered the gear very early,
subsequently reported an unsafe gear indication for both main gear, only nose and body
gear had extended. The aircraft positioned for a 15nm final to Heathrow's runway 27R
and landed safely on nose and body gear only and stopped on the runway about 20
minutes after reporting the unsafe gear.
The plane originally departed London at 12:15 p.m. for the journey to Chicago. Two hours
in, the pilot turned back and told the 293 passengers on board that the plane needed to
make an emergency landing. The plane landed at about 5:15 p.m. London time.
"The pilot was brilliant, very cool and calm. We are currently sitting on runway waiting to
be towed back. Emergency services were on stand by," passenger Martin Robinson told
the Daily Star in London. "I think the pilot nailed it. Everyone was calm. Landing was
almost seamless. Better than other flights I've been on."
After landing, passengers deplaned from the rear of the craft because all of the wheels in
the landing gear were not in contact with the ground, according to passengers, who said
they were told to move from the front of the aircraft to prevent the plane from tipping.
The passengers were put on another plane which left London in the evening, according to
a statement from the airline. The flight is expected to land at Chicago O'Hare Airport at
11:50 p.m. Central time.
The plane was stuck on the runway at Heathrow for several hours, causing delays for
other flights.
http://patch.com/illinois/chicago/chicago-bound-jet-touches-down-london-three-fifths-its-
landing-gear-0
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Chinese airlines sign joint statement against passengers behaving badly
SANYA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Five Chinese airlines signed a joint statement on Monday in
Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, to limit services to passengers deemed
"uncivilized."
Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Spring
Airlines, will record passengers who misbehave, such as those who disrupt air traffic
order.
The database will be shared among the airline companies in addition to tourism and civil
aviation authorities. Those on the blacklist will be subject to limited services.
The five companies, together with their subsidiaries, account for more than 80 percent of
China's total air traffic capacity, according to the statement.
In September last year, four poorly behaved Chinese tourists were punished and placed
on the "uncivilized tourists' behaviors" blacklist, according to the China National Tourism
Administration (CNTA).
A flight delay at Bangkok airport irked Chinese tourists. The four blacklisted tourists
encouraged other tourists to disobey public order at the airport, severely tarnishing the
image of Chinese tourists, according to the CNTA.
They will stay on the blacklist for up to three years, the CNTA said.
The record was first introduced by the CNTA in March 2015 amid growing concerns about
the behavior of some Chinese tourists.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-02/01/c_135064972.htm
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Flight MH370 Update: Search Vessels May Have Missed Malaysia Airlines Plane,
ATSB Chief Says
This photo shows Flight MH370 search vessel, Havila Harmony, lifted out of the water for
replacement of HiPaP pole.
Sonar vessels searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean
may have missed the jet, Australian Transport Safety Bureau's Chief Commissioner Martin
Dolan told News Online, an Australian website, Saturday. Dolan's comments come just a
day after authorities announced that a Chinese sonar-equipped vessel will join the search
for Flight MH370 in late February.
Dolan reportedly said that crews are retracing their steps to be sure that they had not
missed the plane, which is believed to be resting in the southern Indian Ocean floor.
Dolan said that the difficult terrain of the ocean floor did not always allow the vessels to
get a "good enough sonar image," News Online reported.
"We're taking another look because the areas where we haven't been certain are large
enough to contain an aircraft - which is why we're going over them," Dolan said, adding
that "the sea floor is very rugged and complex."
The hazards involved in the search operations were highlighted after search teams lost
the sonar detector used in the operation. The deep water detector, or towfish, was lost
after it hit an underwater volcano and sunk to the ocean floor last Sunday.
Dolan reportedly said that there was still an area "two-thirds the size of Tasmania" to
search, but authorities were confident about finding the Boeing 777-200 before the
operation ended.
"There was never a guarantee of success, but we still think there's a high likelihood of
success before we finish [in June]," Dolan reportedly said.
Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board during a flight
from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. So far, the first and only piece of physical evidence to be
recovered from the plane is a flaperon that washed ashore on France's Réunion Island in
the Indian Ocean - about 2,300 miles away from the current search area - in July 2015.
Dolan told News Online that ATSB was still awaiting the outcome of a French investigation
into the position of the flaperon at the time of its separation from the plane.
"At this stage we've not heard anything from the French that would enable us to form a
view about what position the flaperon was in when it separated from the aircraft which is
the key question for us," Dolan reportedly said. "It's quite possible we won't get anything
definitive on that."
Malaysia is expected to release another report on the second anniversary of the plane's
disappearance on March 8, 2016. However, Dolan said that ATSB is not aware of the
contents of the report.
http://www.ibtimes.com/flight-mh370-update-search-vessels-may-have-missed-
malaysia-airlines-plane-atsb-chief-2287410
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In-flight fist fight: Airplane grounded following mid-air cabin crew brawl
A Delta Airlines flight was forced to make an unscheduled landing after two female flight
attendants had a punch-up 37,000 feet in the air.
Two staff members aboard flight 2598 traveling from Los Angeles to Minneapolis last
week had disagreements over "work issues," eventually leading to the two having a fist
fight in the cabin.
A third staff member tried to break it up, but ended up getting punched herself, at which
point she informed the captain of what was happening.
The captain told passengers he was diverting the plane to Salt Lake City as he "wanted to
hear from his flight attendants," the Aviation Herald reported.
Passengers were forced to sit on board the plane for 80 minutes before continuing their
flight once again - without the quarrelling staff members.
"Some of our team members did not display their best behavior," airline bosses wrote in a
letter of apology sent to all passengers after the flight.
"We expect our flight crew to be nothing but courteous and professional at all times and
what you experienced was far from that."
It's not the first time airline staff have ended up having an in-flight fight.
In September 2012, two flight attendants with United Airlines ended up arguing in front of
passengers over a shared jump seat. Only thirty minutes into the journey, the captain
turned the plane around, and the flight attendants were removed before the plane set off
once again, Flyers Pulse reported. reported.
Two replacement flight attendants had to be found for an American Airlines flight the
same month, after the two rostered staff members were kicked off the flight for having
"an altercation" over a mobile phone.
https://www.rt.com/usa/330820-delta-flight-attendants-fight/
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Interest soaring in airplane crack-detection company
Delta Air Lines is using Structural Monitoring Systems' sensors to detect fatigue on some
of its aircraft.
It is every airline's worst nightmare: an undetected crack developing on an aircraft that
leads to an extreme event in flight, such as the explosive decompression of Aloha Airlines
flight 243 that swept a flight attendant outside the Boeing 737 to her death in 1988.
US carrier Delta Air Lines, which has an average fleet age of 17 years - more than double
that of Qantas - has become the first airline to use technology developed by Australian-
listed Structural Monitoring Systems (SMS) in Perth to monitor aircraft structural fatigue
with an array of sensors.
SMS shares have risen 40 per cent to $1.47 since it received approval in late December
from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing for its technology after a
test program with some of Delta's 737s.
Overall, SMS shares have risen 287 per cent over the past 12 months, compared with a
10.1 per cent fall in the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index over the same period.
The FAA and Boeing approvals mean SMS has the only commercially approved technology
in the world for on-aircraft monitoring of cracking and structural fatigue. The sensors are
placed on the aircraft and help provide early warning of developing cracks.
SMS managing director Toby Chandler said the technology worked on aluminium and
composite airframes and therefore could be employed on commercial aircraft from all
manufacturers, including Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier, as well as on
helicopters.
Faster and easier
The initial FAA and Boeing approvals meant it should be much faster and easier to gain
additional approval for various types of applications on aircraft in the future, Mr Chandler
said.
"Going forward, the ability to identify new applications, which would be done in
partnership with operators and [aircraft manufacturers], will be simpler," he said.
"For Delta and a lot of operators, the long-term iteration for our technology will be to
have the [manufacturers] delivering new aircraft with structural health monitoring
systems installed at the point of sale."
For the customer, the cost of the sensors, which are manufactured in Canada, is typically
up to $US20,000. That is significantly less than the typical loss of revenue from an airline
grounding an aircraft for a mandated inspection under an airworthiness directive related
to fatigue.
The SMS technology has been approved by Boeing as an alternate maintenance program
to conventional inspections.
Mr Chandler said SMS has had programs under way with Airbus and Embraer for some
time to develop sensors appropriate for use on those aircraft.
SMS is working to develop a business model that centres on licensing the technology
rather than just selling the physical equipment.
Key year for company
He said 2016 would prove key for the company, which listed more than 10 years ago but
has not been in a position to commercialise the technology broadly until now.
"We are now going to move into a much more proactive commercial phase," he said.
The company had $482,000 of cash at December 31, but it has already told investors it
plans to undertake a capital raising of about $1.5 million later in 2016 to help it hire more
employees in North America and Europe.
Based on its current market value of $146 million, that would involve minimal dilution to
existing shareholders, including Mr Chandler.
Mr Chandler sold $3 million of shares in the company in January, alongside smaller sales
by two other directors, but he still holds a 5 per cent stake and said he had no plans to
sell more shares any time soon.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/this-company-detects-aircraft-cracking-and-
its-shares-are-up-287pc-this-year-20160129-gmh1hs.html#ixzz3yuvY5eng
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TransAsia Airways slammed for poor flight safety management
Taipei, Jan. 29 (CNA) TransAsia Airways, which has had two crashes on domestic flights in
the past 18 months, has neglected flight safety and fostered a culture of sloppy practices
among its pilots operating ATR 72 planes, Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council (ASC) said
Friday.
The council delivered the assessment in its final report on TransAsia Airways flight 222
from Kaohsiung that crashed in Taiwan's outlying Penghu Island on July 23, 2014 and left
48 of the 58 people on board dead.
Though the council put most of the blame for the accident in Penghu on the pilots, it said
the airline was also responsible, citing numerous flaws in the carrier's management,
including inadequate risk management processes and ineffective safety meetings.
It also questioned senior management's commitment to safety.
ASC Executive Director Thomas Wang (???) said the council found dozens of poor air
safety practices during the 24 TransAsia flights it observed between Aug. 4 and Sept. 5,
2015.
Those observation flights came after the airline's second major accident, when TransAsia
Airways flight 235 headed to Kinmen crashed into a river minutes after taking off from
Taipei's Songshan Airport in February 2015, killing 43 of the 58 people on board.
Following that accident, the airline vowed to improve its pilot training and flight practices,
but the report's verdict on what it observed on the airline's flights last year indicated that
those efforts have yet to achieve results.
The airline's operations "show prevalent tolerance for non-compliance with procedures
within the airline's ATR fleet," the report said, referring to the ATR 72, the aircraft
involved in both TransAsia Airways crashes.
"Such tolerance was symptomatic of an ineffective check and training system with
inadequate supervision by the airline's flight operations management," it said.
In response, the airline said it respected the results of the investigation and pledged again
to strive for better safety controls.
"Flight safety comes first," TransAsia Chairman Lin Ming-sheng (???) said, adding that
the airline has implemented measures such as introducing foreign experts to overhaul its
flight safety operation.
Immediately after the crash in Penghu, the carrier set stricter flight safety standards,
requiring visibility to be 50 percent greater than the existing minimum required for
landing for each domestic airport it serves.
At Magong Airport in Penghu, for example, where the minimum visibility standard for
landing is 1,600 meters, TransAsia flights are not allowed to land unless its pilots have
2,400 meters of visibility.
Visibility and the weather were other factors considered by investigators when they tried
to piece together what caused the crash in Penghu, but the report minimized their
ultimate role in the accident.
The control tower never advised the pilots of the ill-fated flight that visibility had fallen
below 1,600 meters to 800 meters and then 500 meters as they approached the Magong
Airport runway, according to the report.
But the AEC said that had the pilots followed standard operating procedures, they could
have turned around when reaching the minimum descent altitude -- the lowest altitude
the plane could descend to on its final approach -- at 330 feet.
The pilots continued on their approach, and the plane crashed when they attempted a go-
around.
http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201601290022.aspx
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United Is Adding a Training Safety Day for All 12,000 Pilots
United Airline pilots pass out leaflets to passengers at O'Hare International Airport, May 7,
2012, to get their point across United's outsourcing of U.S. jobs. Antonio Perez / Chicago
Tribune/MCT
Despite stalled growth in China, Brazil and Russia, a wave of newly middle-class travelers
from the BRICs and beyond will start visiting international destinations in the coming
decades - dwarfing the numbers we've seen thus far.
While there an element of PR about this, it's no joke that airlines are about to experience
some radical generational turnover on the cockpit and it won't be easy.
- Jason Clampet
United Continental Holdings Inc. is adding special training for all 12,000 pilots to boost
safety and improve communication as the industry braces for a generational turnover
among cockpit-crew members.
The day-long sessions follow a strong letter United sent to pilots a year ago, warning of
"major safety events and near misses" that included the use of an aircraft's ground
proximity warning system and required the pilot to pull up quickly. United's new program
isn't a direct response to those incidents, spokesman Charlie Hobart said.
"This is a program that is forward-looking," Hobart said. "It was designed to address
changes in the industry that will affect every carrier."
United's effort extends a transition under way since Oscar Munoz replaced Jeff Smisek as
chief executive officer in September. Management and pilots have clashed before over
safety, and in 2015 the airline admonished some crew members for lapses. Before taking
a medical leave for a heart attack and subsequent transplant, Munoz moved to ease years
of labor discord and helped set the stage for a pilot contract extension.
The new program was developed in conjunction with the Air Line Pilots Association and
individual aviators, Hobart said. Messages left Saturday with ALPA for a comment about
the training weren't immediately returned.
As younger pilots join United and some move into captain's roles, the airline is trying to
improve inter-generational communications, Hobart said. Encouraging mentoring among
pilots is a goal, he said. United hired 800 new pilots in 2015 as the airline prepares to
receive 200 new jets in coming years and confronts a wave of industrywide retirements.
Without elaborating on the coming cultural challenges, Hobart said a pilot in his or her
20s may rely more heavily on mobile devices than a veteran aviator. He didn't give any
specific communications issues within United's cockpits.
United pilots will go through five modules during the day- long training - two dealing with
operational issues including following standard operating procedures, and three dealing
with cultural and generational issues, Hobart said.
http://skift.com/2016/01/31/united-is-adding-a-training-safety-day-for-all-12000-pilots/
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Boeing 737 MAX jet successfully completes first flight
Boeing Co's (BA.N) 737 MAX aircraft completed its first flight on Friday, taking off from
rain-slick tarmac and conducting tests for about three hours before landing safely at
Boeing Field in Seattle.
The smooth flight of the new aircraft marks another step toward scheduled delivery to
airlines in 2017.
Live video supplied by Boeing showed the smooth take-off at 9:46 a.m. (1746 GMT) and
landing at about 12:33 p.m. (2033 GMT)
The plane is the fourth version of the original 737, which made its first flight in 1967 and
has become one of Boeing's most profitable aircraft.
The 737 MAX features new engines from CFM International, a joint venture of General
Electric (GE.N) and Safran SA of France (SAF.PA), and other refinements that improve
fuel efficiency by 14 percent compared with the current generation 737.
Boeing has sold 3,072 of the planes and is racing to sell more as it battles for market
share against rival Airbus's (AIR.PA) competing A320neo, which earlier this month was
delivered to its first customer, Lufthansa (LHAG.DE).
Boeing is expected to deliver its first 737 MAX to customers in 2017. Southwest Airlines
Co (LUV.N) is scheduled to be the first airline to add the 737 MAX to its fleet.
The first flight of the plane, which is filled with test equipment, was expected to last about
2 1/2 hours. Tracking web sites showed the aircraft cruising west over the Olympic
Peninsula, the western part of Washington State.
Boeing surprised analysts on Wednesday when it said the company would slightly reduce
output of current-generation 737s this year to allow the factory to build the 737 MAX.
Boeing stock tumbled 8.9 percent that day, its biggest daily decline since October 2001,
to close at $116.58 on the New York Stock Exchange.
Many analysts later said Boeing shares are likely to recover because the company's
outlook for cash flow remains strong, as does its commitment to share buybacks and
dividends.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-737flight-idUSKCN0V7253
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RAF pilot lands jet despite sudden loss of eyesight
An instructor at RAF Leeming flew behind the pilot to help him land
An engineer looks in the cockpit of a Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR4 fighter bomber
An RAF pilot rendered suddenly nearly blind by a suspected eye infection managed to land
his training jet after a colleague talked him down while flying nearby.
Air commanders thought about getting the unnamed pilot to eject over the North Sea, but
this risked significant ejection injuries and the plane would have been lost, The Daily
Telegraph reported.
So Flight Lieutenant Paul Durban, an instructor at RAF Leeming who flew in Iraq and
Afghanistan, was sent to help him land.
A source told the Telegraph: "They think he had an infection in his eye and he just
couldn't see. The other pilot flew behind him and talked him down.
"They got him down safely and the plane is okay. Flt Lt Durban is fine too, though I think
he was pretty exhausted."
The incident happened on Thursday last week but was only confirmed by the RAF on
Sunday.
An RAF spokesman said: "During a routine training sortie ... one of our pilots temporarily
suffered a partial loss of vision.
"To assist in the recovery of the aircraft to RAF Leeming, the pilot used the radio to
request the assistance of a wingman and was promptly joined by another aircraft from the
same squadron.
"The impaired pilot flew in formation back to RAF Leeming with the other aircraft where
the pilot landed the aircraft uneventfully.
"Flying in formation, and conducting an approach to land as a formation, is a skill
practised daily by RAF fast jet pilots."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/raf-pilot-lands-jet-despite-sudden-
loss-of-eyesight-a6845891.html
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US Navy's Unmanned Jet Could Be a Tanker
Strike role would be put off
X-47B Unmanned Jet
WASHINGTON - One of the biggest questions facing the future of US Navy carrier-based
aviation is what will be the primary mission of its new unmanned jet. Some believe the
aircraft - to be produced by the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and
Strike (UCLASS) program - should be a stealthy strike jet able to penetrate an enemy's
defenses without risking a pilot. Others want a spy plane, able to launch from a carrier
and produce high-quality, real-time intelligence.
The Navy was set to announce a choice in late summer 2014, but continuing controversy
inside the service, the Pentagon and Capitol Hill led leadership to suspend any decision
pending a service-wide review of unmanned and intelligence assets.
Now it would seem a decision has been made between strike and recon. The winner?
Aerial refueling.
Enter the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System, or CBARS.
Very few details are known about CBARS - some sources were familiar with the effort but
not the acronym. But it seems a significant portion of the UCLASS effort will now be
directed to produce a carrier-based aerial tanker, able to refuel other planes low on gas.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter could reveal the decision Tuesday morning when he's to
speak about the fiscal 2017 budget submission at the National Press Club. The budget
itself is scheduled to be delivered to Congress on Feb. 9.
Several sources contacted for this article confirmed the role of CBARS will be primarily
tanking, "with a little ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance]."
Strike capabilities, the sources all said, would be put off to a future version of the aircraft.
If so, the choice of a tanking role for UCLASS would be at odds with Congress, where
enthusiasm for a strike aircraft has been strong.
House and Senate advocates differed with the administration's 2016 UCLASS request and
with each other and, in the end, a compromise provision in the 2016 defense
authorization act provided $350 million for the program, well over the Pentagon's $135
million request.
But Congress directed the Navy to "develop a penetrating, air-refuelable, unmanned
carrier-launched aircraft capable of performing a broad range of missions in a non-
permissive environment." The aircraft, Congress said, "should be designed for full
integration into carrier air wing operations - including strike operations - and possess the
range, payload, and survivability attributes as necessary to complement such integration."
Congress made no mention of a need for an unmanned aerial tanking capability.
Since fall 2014, the Pentagon has been undertaking a comprehensive, service-wide review
of its unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. It is not yet
clear how much of the ISR review will be made public.
UCLASS supercedes the Unmanned Combat Air System-Demonstration (UCAS-D) program
which produced the Northrop Grumman X-47B demonstrator aircraft. The Navy's two X-
47Bs conducted a series of sea-based trials in 2013 and 2014, proving the ability to
launch and recover aboard an aircraft carrier at sea. Further trials in 2015 proved the
aircraft could conduct aerial refueling - but as a receiving plane, not as a tanker.
Northrop and Boeing were the prime contenders for UCLASS. It is not clear how the
competing designs can be adapted to the tanking role.
Aerial refueling is largely a byproduct of the jet age, where hungry engines ate fuel at
much higher rates than propeller-driven aircraft. Refueling also gives combat planes the
ability to carry out missions at far longer ranges, across oceans and continents, and it is
not unusual for carrier-based strike aircraft to refuel several times in the course of a
single combat mission.
A number of carrier aircraft were adapted to handle the tanking role, including the A-3
Skywarrior, A-6 Intruder and S-3 Viking. F/A-18 Strike Hornets also carry out the role,
fitted with refueling pods for individual missions but able to be quickly reconfigured for
strike roles.
Should the UCLASS be developed as a tanker, it could mark a first for naval aviation - the
first time an aircraft was introduced as a tanker.
It would also be unusual to develop such a sophisticated aircraft for the tanking mission,
where generally less-complex aircraft are sufficient.
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/naval/naval-aviation/2016/01/31/uclass-
ucasd-navy-carrier-unmanned-jet-x47-northrop-boeing/79624226/
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RTAF wants women pilots
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) wants to recruit female pilots for the first time
to make up for a shortfall in the number of male pilots.
Air force chief ACM Tritos Sonchaeng said on Friday the RTAF will, for the time being,
recruit female
pilots to fly military transport aircraft.
He said applicants are required to hold at least a bachelor's degree and that aviation
experience would be
an advantage.
Successful candidates will be trained to fly transport aircraft and helicopters at Wing 6 air
force
headquarters in Don Muang and also at Wing 2 in Lop Buri.
"We believe women would be just as capable and willing to take the same risks as their
male colleagues,"
said ACM Tritos.
"So we want them to have the opportunity to be part of the air force's development," he
said.
However, the commander said the RTAF has no plans to recruit female pilots for combat
roles.
The air force is seeking the Defence Ministry's permission so recruitment can begin this
year, ACM
Tritos said.
An RTAF source said air force chiefs are looking at recruiting women to offset a decline in
the number
of trained pilots and male recruits.
A large number of military pilots have resigned after undergoing air forcesponsored
training overseas, to
work for private airlines which offer higher salaries.
Air force chiefs felt female pilots would perform perfectly well flying transport aircraft and
offering them
the chance to fly for the military would enhance the air force's reputation as an equal
opportunities
employer.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/845288/rtaf-wants-women-pilots
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Air safety clean chit a far cry for Nepal: ICAO
Kathmandu - Senior experts of the International Civil Aviation Organisation have
warned the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal not to conduct the United Nations
Aviation Agency's final audit in haste, saying that the country's aviation sector was
unlikely to get air safety clean chit any time soon.
Experts' warning comes at a time when the aviation regulatory body claimed that it was
all ready to conduct ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission by July to remove the significant
safety concerns that ICAO designated in 2013 which immediately inspired the European
Commission to blacklist country's aviation sector barring all Nepal-based air carriers from
flying into the 28-nation bloc of the European Union.
According to a high-level source at CAAN, Chief Technical Advisers for South and North
Asia regions for the ICAO's Cooperative Development of Operational Safety and
Continuing Airworthiness Programme, who wrapped up their a week-long pre-ICVM today,
clearly stated that it was too early for CAAN to invite final validation mission, as there
were significant loopholes in the part of operation oversight and organisational capability
of the aviation regulator-cum-monopoly services provider for air traffic management, as
well as aerodromes.
During their stay in Kathmandu, South Asia's CTA Captain Marie Helene Zubryckyj and
North Asia's CTA Captain Wayne Chapin, held series of discussions with the high-level
officials at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, CAAN officials and
representatives of three air carriers - Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines and Shree Airlines.
CAAN's Director General Sanjiv Gautam, however, said he didn't meet CoSCAP experts.
CAAN's existing capability and working style couldn't ensure the sustainability of the
progress merely made in the documents until two responsibilities - service provider and
aviation regulator - were separated, ministry officials quoted experts as saying. "The
experts have also given CAAN six months to prepare a concrete work plan to mend its
existing working style, as the existing organisational capability and working nature at
CAAN, they noted, couldn't deliver in the future." According to experts, CAAN would have
to consult international experts for a few months to review the certification process of the
country-based international air carriers, including Nepal Airlines. "CAAN's capability on
flight operations oversight is still below par as per the international standard."
MoCTCA's Acting Secretary Sadhuram Sapkota, who met the visiting experts, said
separation between regulatory and service provider was an urgent need to remove SSCs
on Nepal's aviation sector. CAAN officials, however, blamed the ministry for delaying to
implement a detailed report prepared by international experts to separate such dual roles.
"It's all because of the ministry's negligence."
The UN aviation organisation had cited a number of deficiencies in regulatory oversight
ranging from airworthiness to flight operation or implementation of accident investigation
recommendations to personnel licensing in Nepal. ICAO generally takes four to five
months to send its mission to conduct the final audit after formally receiving invitation
from its party nation.
It is highly unlikely for CAAN to invite ICAO's final validation mission by July, a senior
CAAN executive agreed, adding that two ICAO experts under the air safety fund would,
however, be arriving here on February 5 to help enhance CAAN's capability on personnel
licensing and airworthiness oversight.
https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/air-safety-clean-chit-far-cry-nepal-icao/
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Yeti Airlines, Tara Air achieve int'l safety standard (Nepal)
Yeti Airlines and Tara Air have achieved the International Air Transport Association
(IATA)'s ISSA (IATA Standard Safety Assessment) Programme standard. The basic safety
audit programme was successfully conducted by ICF International in which the Civil
Aviation Authority of Nepal was an observer.
ISSA is a global aviation safety standard programme established by IATA and accepted by
the global aviation community as recognition of quality safety standards achieved and
maintained by an airline.
"Both Yeti Airlines and Tara Air have now become the first domestic airlines, and at
present the only airlines in South Asia to achieve this global ISSA safety standard," said
Capt Ravi Kansakar, director of flight safety at Yeti Airlines. Citing the importance of the
recognition, he said that it is a milestone for the entire airline industry to be globally
accepted and recognised for its safety measurement systems.
According to Kansakar, they have been awarded the recognition after different phases of
assessments of documents and implementation of each requirement of global standards.
The programme also assesses the organisation and management system of the operator,
he said.
The assessment standards are derived directly from IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA)
Standards and Recommended Practices, introducing elements of the International Civil
Aviation Organisation's Safety Management System.
"We have not only focused on profits but also the development of tourism and
enhancement of the
airline industry as a whole," said Uddhav Prasad Subedi, director of engineering
department of Yeti
Airlines. He added that both the airlines have always strived to fulfil international
standards. "Both the companies have planned safety measures and implemented them on
a timely basis."
"This is a historic achievement for Nepali airline companies because we have provided an
assurance to our stakeholders and also encouraged other airlines to operate efficiently,"
said Bhim Raj Rai, ground handling and media manager of the company.
http://thehimalayantimes.com/business/yeti-airlines-tara-air-achieve-intl-safety-
standard/
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Dangerous Aircraft Landing: Plane Nearly Hits Beachgoers At Princess Juliana
Airport [VIDEO]
Princess Juliana International Airport is the main airport on the Caribbean island of Saint
Martin. The airport is perhaps best known for very low-altitude flyover landing approaches
due to one end of its runway being extremely close to the shore and Maho Beach. The site
is very popular with plane spotters.
The local government warns those in the area not to get too close to arriving and
departing aircraft because of the risk of suffering injury or even death.
An aircraft approaching the airport is captured and uploaded by Prince Kumar in slow
motion as it makes its final approach, which makes the footage even more amazing. As its
shadow engulfs the beach, the sheer size of the aircraft dwarfs the tourists underneath it,
who pose for photographs and watch in awe.
Passing the fence and arriving inside the airport, the plane's wheels appear to narrowly
miss a taxi, which drives on by as if nothing ever happened.
http://www.enstarz.com/articles/139218/20160131/dangerous-aircraft-landing-plane-
nearly-hits-beachgoers-at-princess-juliana-airport-video.htm
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Brazil considers lifting foreign stake limit for airlines
Brazil's government is considering removing limits to the foreign ownership of local
airlines to attract investment to the struggling sector, Valor Economico reported on
Monday.
President Dilma Rousseff is also contemplating opening up the capital of Infraero, the
state-run company that controls most of Brazil's airports, Valor said, without citing
sources.
The proposed legislation would give the president power to allow foreign investors to have
total ownership of a Brazilian airline, the paper reported.
Foreign groups are only allowed to hold up to 20 percent in local airliners under existing
rules.
For years, the Brazilian government has flirted with the idea of changing airline ownership
rules, but a severe crisis in the sector fueled by a deep recession, is adding pressure on
policymakers to remove limits.
Officials in Rousseff's office were not immediately available to comment on the report.
Brazil's airline market is dominated by TAM, the Brazilian flag carrier of Santiago, Chile-
based Latam Airlines Group SA , Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes SA, which is part owned
by U.S.-based Delta Airlines Inc., Avianca Brasil and Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras SA.
http://www.reuters.com/article/brazil-airlines-legislation-idUSL2N15G08E
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Embry-Riddle Worldwide's Free Webinar Series to Feature Aviation Safety,
Business Topics
Topics ranging from aircraft automation and the degradation of pilot skills to project
management and resume writing will be discussed during a series of complimentary
webinars being offered by Embry-Aeronautical University - Worldwide.
Noted aviation safety expert and Embry-Riddle professor Bill Waldock will kick off the
2016 webinars Thursday, Feb. 11, with "Aircraft Automation and the Degradation of Pilot
Skills: Keeping our Skies Safe." A professor of safety science at Embry-Riddle's Prescott
(AZ) Campus, Waldock has been investigating accidents for more than three decades. His
webinar will examine how technology has changed the working environment for pilots and
crews. Waldock will also discuss ways pilots can maintain concentration and control in this
new automated environment. The session begins at 2 p.m. (EST).
Other dates include:
"Project Management Solutions to Help You Stay on Schedule and on Budget," Thursday,
April 14, 2 p.m. (EST), presented by James Marion, PMP, assistant professor in the
College of Business at Embry-Riddle Worldwide.
"Writing Effective Emails, Reports and Messages," Thursday, May 12, 2 p.m. (EST),
presented by Terri Maue, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at
Embry-Riddle Worldwide.
"Developing a Resume That Gets Results," Thursday, June 9, 2 p.m. (EST), presented by
Rose Opengart, PHR, assistant professor in the College of Business at Embry-Riddle
Worldwide.
Each 50-minute webinar includes a presentation and Q&A session. Attendees do not need
to be enrolled at Embry-Riddle to participate.
Webinars will be archived and can be viewed after the live presentation. This
complimentary webinar series gives prospective students and the public an opportunity to
experience Embry-Riddle Worldwide instruction while also learning about current trends
and topics.
To view the webinars and register, go to http://worldwide.erau.edu/webinars/.
https://news.erau.edu/news-briefs/embry-riddle-worldwides-free-webinar-series-to-
feature-aviation-safety-business-topics
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Why lasers are better for satellite communication in space
The European Space Agency is moving to improve its communications system in space
using lasers, which have the potential to transmit information more effectively.
Europe began building Phase One of a data highway in space by launching a laser-
equipped satellite into space on Friday.
The newly launched satellite is the first node of a relay system designed to gather images
from surrounding satellites by laser and return them to Earth in a concentrated laser
beam, Jonathan Amos reported for the BBC. The completed system could transmit images
of Earth from satellite to desktop in minutes, according to estimates by Airbus Defense
and Space, which partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA). The current system,
using radio waves, takes hours to transmit images back to Earth.
The laser system can speed up transmission rates because it enables spacecraft circling
the Earth to transmit upward to the newly launched node, which is easier to reach
because it orbits at a higher altitude than other satellites. Because it is further from the
ground station back on Earth, however, the satellite employs laser communication, which
transmits a stronger, less degradable beam.
The ESA says that the laser communication system will benefit disaster relief efforts, as
the new laser system is also expected to return images of earth quickly enough to assist
disaster relief work, according to Reuters. The more far-reaching implication, however,
will be in space.
Any communication degrades as it moves through matter, and the signal grows weaker
the further it travels due to noise, disruption, or the sheer volume of space. Radio waves
have long been the method of choice for space communication, but they can degrade
quickly and rely on extensive relay systems even when operating on Earth.
Scientists say that radio waves will eventually prove inadequate when confronted with the
vastness of space, so they are increasingly experimenting with laser systems, which can
transmit encoded data via a concentrated, and therefore less degradable, beam.
NASA has been developing laser communications for years. The technology is one of
many expected to benefit a mission to Mars, because radio communication requires too
much power to be practical for the lengthy mission to Mars, Pete Spotts reported for The
Christian Science Monitor.
Laser communication can potentially transmit a much higher volume of data than radio.
The market for data communication is ever-increasing, and radio wavelengths are
becoming "crowded," according to a NASA report on the Lunar Laser Communication
Demonstration. Laser communication is still in the exploratory stages, but would open up
a new, less busy, portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for use.
Laser communication could ultimately be cheaper because the tighter, narrower waves
require smaller antennas. Engineers with NASA also hope it will be faster. NASA estimates
that experimental spacecraft could download an average movie in 639 hours using the
current S-band communication model, laser technology could cut the download time to
eight minutes.
A test in January 2013 showed the possibilities, as NASA transmitted an image of the
"Mona Lisa" to the moon's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. NASA plans to expand such
tests to satellites in geostationary orbit around the Earth by 2019 and transmit to a
Discovery mission in deep space around 2022.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2016/0130/Why-lasers-are-better-for-satellie-
communication-in-space
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Aviation on Mars? Airbus Perlan 2 Glider To Help Test Its Limits
* will attempt to reach its optimal cruising altitude of 90,000 feet as early as this
coming June in Argentina
* wings are designed to handle six Gs of gravity with daylight flight times of up to
nine hours.
By pushing the atmospheric envelope at the edge of Earth's stratosphere, the Airbus
Perlan 2 glider's next tests should pave the way for both future aviation on Mars and
Earth-based commercial hypersonic aircraft, Allan McArtor, the Chairman and CEO of
Airbus Group, Inc.. told me.
The Perlan 2 sailplane/glider, which had its first test flight last September in Oregon, will
attempt to reach its optimal cruising altitude of 90,000 feet as early as this coming June
in Argentina , says McArtor. When it does, it will be the highest that any winged vehicle,
powered or otherwise has gone.
As part of the Perlan Project - a nonprofit supported by title sponsor Airbus Group and
others; the glider's two-man crew will scientifically sample the stratosphere at altitudes
exceeding those of even the U-2 and the SR-71 spy planes.
McArtor stresses that Perlan 2 will offer NASA and other space agencies what he terms
the first real in situ flight data in an environment analogous to Mars' own atmosphere.
"Perlan 2's wingspan [of some 84 feet] will just barely fit between first and second base,"
said McArtor. But he says it should allow the Perlan Project to learn whether that's a
wingspan that would allow for optimum maneuverability in Mars' two percent atmosphere.
And Perlan should also give the team real time data on how the craft would handle
banking and potential stalls in such a Martian atmosphere.
An artist's conception of the Airbus Perlan Mission II glider at its target altitude of 90,000
feet, which it will reach later this year without benefit of an angine, setting a world
altitude record in the process. Credit: Airbus Perlan Mission II.
With Mars's thin atmosphere, McArtor says flight using a propeller or a standard turbine
jet engine would be very difficult. Instead, he says that a Mars aircraft would need to be a
hybrid that used some means of thrust and soar dynamics to move above the red planet's
surface.
Airbus says that any insight gained into flight at increasingly higher altitudes also has
implications for the future of both sub-sonic and supersonic or hypersonic aviation, where
given the right technology, higher operating altitudes could provide a range of potential
advantages.
"Airbus recently filed a patent for hypersonic passenger craft that will go to suborbital
space and back down again," said McArtor. "It's in that region of suborbital space that
Perlan 2 will be flying."
The Perlan Project owes its current fortunes to the ground-breaking work of Perlan's
founder, NASA test pilot Einar Enevoldson, who during back in the 1990s first collected
evidence that stratospheric mountain waves actually exist. 'Perlan,' Icelandic for 'pearl,'
refers to a type of lenticular cloud that only form at high altitude inside these
stratospheric mountain waves.
The waves themselves are kicked up by winds that blow over high mountain regions such
as the andes and propagate upward as high as 130,000 feet at speeds of more than 260
knots [300 mph].
"All the climate models assume there's no mixing between the stratosphere and below but
there really is," said McArtor. "We're going to prove that these mountain waves are
exactly what enable the aircraft to soar to 90,000 feet."
The Perlan 2 glider. Credit: Airbus Perlan Mission II
The current Perlan 2's wings are designed to handle six Gs of gravity with daylight flight
times of up to nine hours.
The glider reaches a position of several thousand feet altitude using a tow plane and
cable, just like any other glider, then is cut loose to position itself to ride the Andes
mountain waves.
McArtor says the tech that allowed for Perlan 2 was in part sparked by miniaturization;
the ability to provide advanced avionics in very small packages. On the materials side, he
says, the Perlan 2's strong carbon fiber structure - made by BRS Aerospace - will enable
the craft to be strong enough to handle such high-altitude conditions.
In 2006, the late Steve Fosset and Einar Enevoldson reached 50,000 feet in Perlan 1, the
glider's first incarnation. But unlike Perlan 1, in which the two pilots actually wore
borrowed NASA spacesuits which greatly inhibited their ability to operate the vehicle, the
Perlan 2 crew will operate in a pressurized cabin and use an oxygen re-breather system
not unlike that used in scuba diving.
Perlan 2 will still travel light, with an empty weight of only 1100 pounds, but is equipped
with high altitude radar; instrumentation and lighting for night flying; a few scientific
instruments and cameras to record data and basic ground-communications equipment. In
the event of an emergency, the glider has two parachutes to help it make a safe rapid
descent.
Although McArtor stresses that Perlan 2 is not a prototype for any sort of marketable
aircraft, the mere fact that it will fly where no one has flown before opens the door to a
new wave of follow-on technology that the aerospace community will be implementing for
years to come.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2016/01/31/aviation-on-mars-airbus-perlan-
2-glider-to-help-test-its-limits/#111187be575e
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ISASI Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Applications Due in April
Applications for the 2016 ISASI Rudolph Kapustin Memorial Scholarship must be
submitted on or before April 15, 2016, says ISASI Secretary Chad Balentine, who serves
as Scholarship Committee Chairman.
Balentine noted that this worthy program is designed to encourage and assist college-
level students interested in the field of aviation safety and aircraft occurrence
investigation. ISASI funds the Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship through donations
and will provide an annual allocation of funds for the scholarship if funds are available.
Applicants must be enrolled as full time students in an ISASI recognized education
program, which includes courses in aircraft engineering and/or operations, aviation
psychology, aviation safety and/or aircraft occurrence investigation, etc. Applicants must
have major or minor subjects that focus on aviation safety/investigation. A student who
has received the annual ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship will not be eligible to
apply for it again.
Students who wish to apply should go to
http://www.isasi.org/Documents/Forms/ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial
Scholarship Form.pdf for guidelines and the application form. Please Note: The 2016
Scholarship Application Form provides updated candidate requirements. Forty students
received the ISASI scholarship since its inception in 2002.
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Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship
The Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship was established by the National Center
for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to shape the next generation of researchers in aviation
weather, honoring the late Najeeb Elias Halaby, an eminent aviator and administrator, for
his vision and more than five decades of extraordinary contributions to aviation
(http://www.ral.ucar.edu/halabyfellowship.pdf).
The Fellowship
The recipient of a Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship will spend three months
(in 2016 or early 2017) in residence with NCAR's Aviation Weather Research Program,
which Mr. Halaby was instrumental in establishing in the 1980s. As the nation's leader in
addressing aviation weather research, NCAR plays a unique role in meeting user needs by
transferring research results to operations through its Research Application Laboratory
(http://www.ral.ucar.edu/).
The Fellow will conduct research broadly aimed at improving the integration of weather
into decision support tools for improved weather avoidance and air traffic management.
The Fellowship will provide:
* a monthly stipend for three months, including temporary living expenses
* round-trip travel expenses to and from Boulder, CO
* travel to a conference to present results
* page charges for one publication of key results
Eligibility and Application
The Halaby Fellowship targets graduate students (late Masters or early PhD level) enrolled
in an aviation-relevant department or program of a domestic or international
university. Interested candidates should have advanced research skills, far-reaching
vision, and dedication to get things accomplished.
Consideration for this Fellowship will be given to candidates based on the following
submitted material:
* Curriculum vitae
* Proposal (maximum five pages) presenting the research to be conducted at NCAR,
the anticipated outcome of that, and how the proposed effort ties into the
candidate's ongoing graduate research project(s)
* Contact information for three references (one of which should be the student's
primary advisor)
NCAR will accept applications for the Halaby Fellowship each year.
Email Applications by February 28, 2016 to halabyfellowship@ucar.edu
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PhD Research Request
Dear Fractional Jet Pilot,
Fractional jet pilots have achieved an amazing safety record over the last 25
years. Research shows that your pilot group has achieved significantly better safety
results when compared with similar jet pilot groups.
This research investigates why are fractional jet pilots better than these other pilot
groups? Is it due to training/skills, safety culture, union or company leadership?
Safety culture has been studied for over a decade at the commercial airline level, and has
consistently demonstrated a predictive capability. In recent years, safety culture has
been concluded to predict safety performance. Safety culture is an important factor to
investigate.
My name is Kevin O'Leary and I am a Ph.D. candidate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University. I am completing my dissertation by researching the safety culture of fractional
jet pilots. This research has the potential to begin the understanding of why fractional
pilots have a superior safety record.
Due to the nature of this research, the survey respondents have been required to be pre-
qualified to participate in this survey.
Please follow the link below and fill out the pre-qualification form so that your pilot status
can be verified. After verification, an untraceable survey link will be emailed to your
email address. This link will be completely separate and remain separate from your pilot
verification data. Your identity will never be disclosed and is not connected with the
survey answers you provide.
The research survey you will receive after completing the pre-qualification form will not
include any identifiable data about the pilot, pilot's place of employment or the aircraft
primarily flown. The research survey will take about 11 minutes.
Please note that these responses will generate a donation to the Corporate Angel Network
and potentially improve general aviation safety.
https://www.research.net/r/Curt-Lewis-PreQual
Thank you very much for your help!
Principal Researcher
Kevin O'Leary
Ph.D. Candidate
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
617-600-6868
Olearyk1@my.erau.edu
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GRADUATE THESIS SURVEY
My name is Mark Roth and I'm presently doing my Master Thesis with a Risk Management
study on multi-national aircrew. A quantitative analysis will be used for a primary data
collection. This is undertaken with a survey and I hope to be able to collect a minimum of
100 data sets/responds.
Working alongside such international arrangements as a Training Captain on the A380,
this study is intended to highlight challenges and opportunities for operators and
regulators. I would be grateful, if you would kindly publish the link of this survey on your
platform.
I have attached my approved project proposal for your reference. A group of subject
matter expert has validated it, therefore the questions stated in the proposal have been
altered.
Here is the link to my survey: Survey, PG Student Mark Roth
THIS SURVEY IS INTENDED FOR ACTIVE AIRLINE CABIN AND COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS
ONLY.
Curt Lewis